Their Missing Stories 2: The Sealing
by kyazj
Summary: Chrono wakes up one unfortunate morning to find that everyone, including Rosette and Azmaria, have completely forgotten who he is. And worse, it turns out he may not have much longer to solve the mystery behind everyone's amnesia. Aion grows ever nearer, his target being Chrono's life and Rosette's company. But with everyone against him, can Chrono defeat Aion alone?


"Rosette, could you please slow down?" I croaked from the passenger seat. My partner, Rosette, was sitting beside me in the driver's seat, her eyes glaring at the road in front of us. The roads were wet with the rain that had been falling since early this morning. I watched as we passed cars at a speed much higher than the limit.

"Dry up, Chrono," she hissed, "I'll drive as fast as I want to!" I let out a startled cry as the car lurched around a corner.

"We're going to crash," I whined. She let go of the wheel with one hand and smacked me over the head.

"Ow!" I cried.

"Stop being a Mrs. Grundy. We're fine!" she said, as if that justified hitting me in the head. I rubbed the back of my head and stared out the window. It was almost impossible to make out the shapes of objects through the rain and the blur of speed. We had just finished with our mission and were heading back to the convent. We had managed to leave without causing any major damage to the building and Rosette was anxious to report back to Sister Kate on a positive note for once. I glanced at her in the corner of my eye. She was grinning from ear to ear, overly excited to have been successful on a mission. I smiled, my heart warming as I took in her happiness and excitement. My eyes turned back to the gloomy world outside as we continued to race along at an illegal speed.

"Rosette! Chrono!" Azmaria called from across the mess hall. After a surprisingly successful meeting with Sister Kate, Rosette and I had decided to head to the mess hall for dinner.

"Welcome back!" Azmaria said as we sat next to her with our meals. Rosette sat between us, her tray stacked so high with food that it acted as a wall between Azmaria and me. That's Rosette for you though, she ate enough to feed an entire army.

"Thanks," I replied, barely able to meet her eyes over the obnoxious mound of food.

"What did we miss?" Rosette asked as she took a great big bite of bread.

"Nothing," Azmaria answered, shaking her head. We'd only been gone a few hours, but things could get pretty crazy really fast around here. Mostly because of Rosette and myself, though. We often brought trouble with us.

"Oh! Az, I almost forgot! Chrono and I found this cute little shop today. He found this bracelet and we thought you might like it," Rosette said with a bright smile. She pulled the silver chained trinket we had bought earlier today out of her pocket. It was a charm bracelet with three charms on it: a small pink heart, a music note, and an angel wing. Azmaria gasped, her face lighting up as she delicately took the bracelet.

"It's beautiful!" she cried as she carefully clipped it around her wrist, "Thank you so much!"

"It's no biggy," Rosette replied with a smile and a wave of her hand, "besides, Chrono's the one who found it." Azmaria turned her shimmering eyes to me.

"Thanks, Chrono," she said wistfully.

"You're welcome," I answered with a grin.

"You guys are the greatest friends ever. I'm so glad you found me," Azmaria said before taking a nibble of her dinner. The word 'friends' made my stomach do cartwheels. I hadn't had many friends, and it was still strange to hear a human call me a friend. Most humans hardly wanted to look at me, much less become my friend. Rosette and Joshua were one of the only exceptions, one of the few to accept me. There had only been one other before them. A girl, who was more of a friend than I'd ever hoped of having. I'd loved her more than anything… As memories of distant times began to fill my head, I quickly turned to my food in an effort to keep myself from reliving the past. Now days I had quite a few humans who had come to accept me. Though not all of them may have called me a friend, they still acknowledged me as an equal. I glanced over at Rosette and Azmaria who were laughing about something I had missed. Friends… One single word that held so much warmth and comfort. I smiled contently as the two girls continued to talk, smile, and giggle beside me. They were my friends.

After we'd finished eating, Azmaria left to go to her choir rehearsal.

"We have a recital this weekend!" she explained before hurrying off.

"We'll be right in the front row," Rosette promised. Azmaria gave a little wave then turned and ran in the direction of the church. Rosette stood up from the table and stretched.

"I should probably get a start on that report," she said.

"Want me to come with you?" I asked, trying not to sound as hopeful as I felt.

"Sure!" she said with a smile, just like I knew she would. Internally, I exhaled a sigh of relief. Without Rosette or Azmaria I had nowhere to go. Not to mention that whenever I was separated from Rosette I just couldn't stop thinking about her. I mostly worried when we were apart (since she is rather troublesome) but I also felt empty inside. Like something's missing. We walked into her bedroom and she immediately headed for her desk. I pulled a second chair from the wall by her closet and set it next to hers. Originally her room had had only one chair, however, seeing as I spent most of my time in here with her, we decided to move an extra chair into the room.

"How long do you think it will take to write?" I asked her as she fed a paper into the typewriter.

"Forever," she moaned. I gave a small laugh.

"Banana oil*," I said quietly.

"Maybe you should write it then instead." She gave me a challenging look and I raised my hands.

"It's alright! You're much better at it than I am." Her face suddenly split into a smile. She turned back to the typewriter and began to construct sentences.

"Rosette?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"Hm?" She continued to type, half paying attention to me.

"Can I braid your hair?" I asked quietly. She smiled and nodded, her typing halting for barely a second in surprise. I scooted my chair behind hers and gently removed her habit. I then separated her hair and began to twist it into a tight braid. I'd learned how to braid as a joke a while back. Azmaria wanted me to learn so desperately that I'd given in. Often times I'd ended up practicing with Rosette's hair. I smiled, remembering all the times I'd tangled it so badly. She'd nearly killed me so many times. I was much better at it now and she often let me braid it while she was working. Not to mention that when I braided Rosette's hair I felt relaxed and much closer to her. It was comforting to be able to feel her right next to me. She never kept the braid in very long, mostly because she didn't like the way she looked in braids, but the fact that she let me braid her hair in the first place was enough. I sat there quietly braiding her hair and listening to her tap on the keys of her typewriter. She wouldn't be writing to long tonight, since she didn't have any apologies for once. Just as I finished with her hair I heard her yank the paper out of the typewriter.

"Done!" she proclaimed as I tied her hair.

"See, I told you it wouldn't take forever," I remarked. She turned around and gave me a bop on the head.

"Ow," I groaned.

"Don't be such a smart-aleck," she sneered.

"Your hair's done," I muttered as she got up. She smiled at me.

"Thanks," she said softly. While most people would see this as a sudden attitude change, the truth is that Rosette's emotions didn't change. Though she may appear to be a mean person, she doesn't try to hurt people. She hits me because she knows it doesn't actually hurt me. She does it to joke around and show that she cares. Rosette's not the best with putting her feelings into words. She's very good at helping others with their emotions, but when it comes to her own she can't seem to be able to sort them out. That's why I know when she's picking on me it's not because she dislikes me. She's proven that time and again, and I know that even though most people would see it as bullying its actually just misdirected affection. Rosette stretched and yawned before sliding her chair back into her desk.

"I guess it's getting late," she said, looking out the window at the dark sky. I nodded and hopped off my chair. I slid it back to its place on the other side of the room.

"Then I should head to my room," I replied.

"Alright. Good night, Chrono," she called as I headed out the door. I turned and smiled at her.

"Good night, Rosette," I answered as I headed into the hall and closed the door behind me. Regretfully, I left Rosette's room and ventured down the hall to my room. It wasn't very far from Rosette's, just two down on the same wall. Leaving her was the hard part. I knew that in the morning I'd see her again and everything would be the same as always. It was getting through the night that was hard. It was tough getting through the time I spent alone.

I woke up the next morning just as the sun was rising. I often times woke up very early and would get ready for the day so I could go and wake Rosette (who had a habit of sleeping in much later than most of the convent higher ups approved of). Besides, it was best if I was the first person she saw in the morning since she has a tendency of being a little... frightening when she first wakes up. I left the room a little while later and knocked on Rosette's door. There was no reply. I sighed and tried again. She still didn't answer. She was probably in a deep sleep.

"Rosette, are you awake?" I called. When there was no reply I opened the door a crack and peered in. Rosette laid in her bed, curled up in a tight ball under the covers. I grinned and crept into her room. She was so unRosette like when she slept; still, fragile, and quiet (when she wasn't snoring). I tiptoed over to her bedside and carefully shook her shoulder.

"Rosette? It's time to get up," I called quietly. She groaned and rolled over.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled, still half asleep.

"Come on, Rosette. It's morning, time to get out of bed." I heard her sigh.

"Fine, you pill. I'm getting up," she muttered as she shoved the covers aside. She sat up and turned to me. Her eyes grew large and she rapidly blinked a couple of times.

"What's wrong, Rosette?" I asked. She gave an embarrassed laugh and a wave of her hand.

"I'm sorry, this is a strange question, but do I know you?" she asked. Her eyebrows were pulled together as if she was thinking hard. She stared at my face, waiting for a reply from either her mind or me. I stood there, dumb struck.

"That's not funny, Rosette," I said with a forced smile.

"It's not a joke. I'm serious, who are you?" she asked, turning her whole body towards me. Her feet hit the floor and she stood in front of me. She was a whole head taller than me, so I had to look up to meet her eyes. I could tell she was being totally serious. I stumbled a step backwards. What was going on?

"You don't know who I am." I stated in disbelief.

"That's what I've been saying," she told me with a sigh, "are you new here? Have we met before and I forgot you?" I stared at her, unable to make my mouth form words.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she but a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I opened my mouth to reply but my throat and mouth were completely dry. I swallowed and opened my mouth to try again. But before I could speak pounding feet thudded down the hall and stopped at the door. It flew wide open and in rushed Sister Kate followed by Father Remington, the Elder, and Azmaria bringing up the tail. The second she was in the room tears flooded her eyes.

"Rosette! You're alright!" she cried as she ran to her.

"Well, Elder, is this him?" Remington asked, his sword out and pointed at me. Rosette looked just as confused as I was.

"What's going on?" she asked, voicing my reoccurring thoughts since I'd woken her up.

"He's a devil," Azmaria whispered. I'm pretty sure that they'd already known that so why was it such a big deal? I flinched as I heard Rosette gasp.

"How'd it get in here?" she asked quietly, her voice a mixture of fright and disgust. Her words stung me so deeply that the pain actually managed to slip into my face. I quickly covered it in an attempt to appear impassive. Rosette lunged for her gun that she kept on her nightstand. In her haste, the life clock that was also sitting there fell and clattered onto the floor. Rosette didn't even appear to notice. She pointed her gun straight at me, no mercy in her eyes.

"Let me handle this, Rosette," Father Remington said. She nodded, but kept her gun on me. I watched in disbelief as he came at me, quick as a flash, his sword swinging at my head. I ducked and managed to avoid the blade. This was insane! What was going on here? I ran into the nightstand, as I stumbled backwards to avoid Father Remington's sword. I ducked once again and my eyes caught the glimmer of Rosette's life clock. Her life clock! I grabbed it and straightened up again. My fist clenched the chain tightly, the clock dangling a few inches below where I grabbed the chain. I jumped onto the bed to avoid another blow and rolled across it to the other side. I stood there and held out the life clock, my eyes fixed on Rosette's.

"Do you remember this? Rosette, do you know what this is?" I called. The room fell silent; even Father Remington froze for an instant. Rosette still held her gun so it was pointed at me. She took in the life clock and a flicker of recognition went across her face. But her mouth hardened into a frown and she shook her head.

"I've never seen it before," she said. Father Remington charged at me again but I ran around the end of the bed towards Rosette. She whipped her gun towards me, rage clear in her eyes. I stopped moving and gritted my teeth.

"Look at it! You honestly don't remember it? What it means or the promise behind it? You can honestly tell me you don't know what this is?" I hollered, holding it up again. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second and her gun wavered. That was the opening I needed. I threw myself at her and wrapped my arms around her.

"Please remember," I whispered, squeezing her close to me. I heard her let out a startled gasp.

"Chro…no?" she breathed. I backed away and met her eyes. She was staring at me in shock.

"It worked?" I said in surprise. I heard the gun clatter from her hand and felt her pull me to her again.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. I let out a soft laugh.

"No harm no foul, right? Just don't do that again," I said. She laughed and backed away just enough to meet my eyes.

"Right," she said with a smile. I handed her the life clock and she quickly looped it over her head with a grateful look on her face.

"What's going on?" I heard Azmaria ask, panic in her voice. Rosette let me go and turned to her. I glanced around the room, registering everyone's reactions to the scene that had just taken place. Surprise mostly, but also a tinge of disgust and rage. Azmaria was the only one who looked purely confused.

"Az, I know this is going to seem strange, but you'll have to trust me. Chrono is not a bad devil," Rosette said, cautiously taking a step towards her. Azmaria backed away.

"What did he do to you?" she quietly asked. Rosette flinched and though I couldn't see her face I knew Azmaria's words had stung her.

"What's happened? Why doesn't anyone else remember?" she asked me, watching everyone carefully.

"I don't know from nothing*. It was near impossible to get your memories back!" I replied.

"Sister Rosette!" Sister Kate cried, her loud voice causing both Rosette and I to jump, "Back away from that devil this instant!" I glanced at Rosette. Her face had turned hard and defiant, her eyes sparking with emotion. She grabbed my hand and stepped between Sister Kate and me.

"No. I'll never abandon Chrono. If you want to take him you'll have to go through me," she said, her voice low and threatening. The whole room filled with astonishment. Sister Kate was the first to recover.

"Well, if that's how it is I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Sister Rosette," she said. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke and her voice was no-nonsense. Rosette didn't even protest.

"Good. I don't want to stay here if Chrono can't. Come on, let's get out of here," Rosette said, pulling me along.

"Rosette!" I heard Azmaria cry as Rosette stomped out of the room. She didn't reply or even turn around, but I could tell by the way her grip tightened that she had to fight her instinct to turn back and comfort Azmaria. Guilt sank into my chest.

"Rosette, its alright. You can stay. I'll go on my own," I said quietly.

"Absolutely not! I meant what I said! If you can't stay here than neither can I!" she called over her shoulder.

"But Rosette, its not fair for me to drag you away-" She suddenly spun around, causing me to almost collide with her.

"Chrono, are we partners or aren't we?" she demanded.

"We are, but-"

"And if I had to leave, you'd come with _me_ wouldn't you?"

"Of course, but Rosette-"

"So why wouldn't the same apply for you? Don't you get it? I feel the same! You aren't _dragging_ me anywhere! I'm going because I don't want to be without you! I'm leaving because if they're going to act like a bunch of dumb Doras then I don't want anything to do with them!" she explained as angry tears slid down her face.

"But, Rosette, this is your home. They're your friends," I retorted.

"It's not my home if you're not here and they're not my friends if they can't accept you. You're more important to me than anything," she said with a smile as she wiped her dripping eyes. I swallowed, trying to keep my own eyes from tearing up.

"Now let's go! I don't want to spend another second in this place," she proclaimed and returned to marching through the halls. A small grin found its way to my face as her words continued to echo in my head. Everything she had said was how I felt for her as well. It was true that if anything like this ever happened to her I'd be furious and wouldn't want to stick around either. Wherever Rosette was was my home and I didn't need anything or anyone besides her. I kept my eyes on our locked hands as she lead me through the convent. Her hand was so tight on mine and I could tell that even though she said she wouldn't miss this place or the people in it she was just being strong. I knew she hadn't lied when she said she'd rather be with me, but it still pained her to leave here.

"We'll come back," I told her, still staring at our hands.

"What?" she asked, pretending to not understand what I meant.

"I'll figure out what's going on and fix it. We'll come back soon. I promise," I elaborated. She looked over her shoulder at me with a smile.

"That's where you're wrong," she said. I cocked my head in confusing.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She grinned at me.

"_We'll_ find out what's going on. Together. I won't let you do anything by yourself." I returned her smile and nodded.

"Right. We'll find out what's happening," I repeated as I gave her hand a squeeze. We walked out of the convent in silence then she looked around the grounds, as if checking if anyone was around. Then, with twice as much speed as she'd used to get us out of the convent, she dashed across the grounds to the parking lot.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She gave me a mischievous grin.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to hotwire a car, would you?"

I didn't, but luckily it turned out that Rosette still had the keys in her pocket. We didn't have to do anything illegal. Well, besides stealing the car, that is. I was a little worried about taking it, but Rosette promised that once everything was back to normal we'd return it. If it could survive that long with Rosette driving it.

"Rosette, where exactly do you plan on going?" I asked as we sped along the country roads that lead us to Brooklyn.

"I really don't know. My only contacts are the convent," she said.

"And Satella," I reminded her. She shot me a fierce glare and I shied back against my chair.

"That jewel witch and I are not friends!" she shouted.

"I never said you were!" I replied quietly. She turned back to the road and the fire in her eyes died. She looked upset now.

"But, I guess, if the convent can't help us we should try and find her," she admitted with a sigh.

"And if she doesn't remember me?" I asked. Rosette's lips hardened into an intense, thin line.

"She will," she muttered, her voice determined. I didn't contradict her, even though I somehow knew that our problems weren't going to be solved so easily. Satella would likely have the answers, but would she be willing to tell us? Especially if she didn't remember me? She wasn't exactly the friendliest person. Even if we explained our situation she likely wouldn't believe us and what would we do then? Where would we go? I knew all these things were buzzing around inside Rosette's head too, plus all her stress from leaving the convent (though I was the only one who felt any stress from 'borrowing' a car).

"So where do we find Satella?" I asked. Rosette swerved around the car ahead of us with enough force to throw me from the car. I clutched the seat in an attempt to keep myself from flying across the car. Once Rosette had straightened out the car again she gave me a reply.

"I have no idea," she said matter-of-factly.

"Then where are we going?" I asked, not even trying to hide my confusion.

"Brooklyn."

"Why?"

"That's where Satella works right? She catches devils in Brooklyn." I was processing her words, still confused as to how that would get us an audience with Satella. How could we get her attention when she was so busy with her job? Then it hit me.

"Rosette, you can't mean..." I moaned. She grinned at me, her eyes straying from the road for only a second.

"That's right. We're going to need some bait, devil boy," she clarified, "and you're the best we've got!"

"But no one has a bounty for me. Satella won't be hunting just any random devil," I reasoned.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. You caused a bit of a ruckus at the convent, didn't you?" I winced and looked out the window.

"Yah, I guess I did," I muttered. Rosette removed one hand from the wheel and grabbed my left hand that was resting between us.

"It'll be okay. We'll fix this," she said as if sensing my feelings of worry and guilt. I squeezed her fingers as she let my hand go.

"I know," I whispered even though I was actually feeling rather doubtful. It had taken a lot of work simply to bring back Rosette's memories. How would we be able to bring back everyone's and go back to the way things were before? Without that special link that Rosette and I had was there a way to remind everyone of who I was? Was it even possible to return things to the way they had been? I wanted it to be possible. I desperately wanted there to be a simple solution to everything. But there never was, and I knew that better than anyone. Well, almost anyone. Rosette understood that yet she was able to think positively. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little envious of her optimism. Even though I told myself to think positive I just couldn't pull it off. But I guess that's what I have Rosette for. In many ways she makes up for the things I lack. So even though I felt that this might seem impossible, her hopefulness helped me to think that, maybe, things would be okay again. Just maybe we could make it through this and life could go on as it had before. The first step was to find answers and who had better answers than a bounty hunter? Satella made a living hunting devils. Surely after all these years she'd come across lots of useful information. We just had to let her track us down.

"Chrono, wake up!" Rosette hissed at me a few hours later. I blinked awake as she gave me a vicious shake.

"What is it?" I asked, my head groggy from sleep. She was smiling at me from the driver's seat. The car was no longer moving and the sun was high in the sky. I must've fallen asleep during our drive into Brooklyn. I noticed her change in clothes. She was now wearing her blue militia outfit instead of the nightgown she'd stormed out of the convent in. She obviously had changed while I was sleeping. Had she changed in here? The thought made my face a little red.

"I think Satella's found us," she said, thankfully unaware of my train of thought. I jerked upright in my seat.

"What makes you say that?" I inquired. Rosette turned and peered out the back window of our car. A woman in a long, yellow dress approached from behind, her long red ponytail swaying in the light breeze.

"Yup, that's her," I murmured. Rosette grabbed the door handle and was about to throw it open when I caught her arm. She turned to me, a disgruntled expression on her face.

"Stay here," I told her as I popped my own door open. I didn't want her getting ridiculed or hurt because of me. She'd be safer here in the car. Well, as safe as Rosette could be in a car.

"Like hell I am," she answered and kicked her door open. I sighed, though it actually made me more content to have her at my side. I stepped out onto the street and went around the back of the car to confront our acquaintance Satella Harvenheit. She stopped in her tracks as Rosette and I stood before her. She took us both in, then her eyes settled on me.

"Are you the devil who disturbed the Magdalan order?" she asked in her thick German accent.

"I am," I answered, "Do you know who I am?"

"A no good devil who needs to be taught a lesson!" she cried as she waved her gloved hand in the air.

"Kommen!" she cried, "My brave February!" There was a bright flash of light and a giant made of gems stood behind Satella, its sword poised for attack. Rosette took a step forward between Satella and myself, though whether she did this on accident or on purpose I'm not sure.

"Satella, stop it!" she hollered.

"Move, Rosette! I don't have time for your foolishness. This devil is the enemy!" Satella yelled in reply. Rosette shook her head.

"No, he's not. He's my friend, Satella, and as much as it pains me to say it… we need your help." Satella's expression was momentarily shocked but it then took on a superior air.

"My help?" she repeated with a flick of her hair, "Whatever could you want from me?"

"Something bad is going on. Satella, you've met Chrono before. So has everyone else, but they've all forgotten him," Rosette explained.

"Nein, I have never met this mongrel before. Besides, why do you remember him and no one else? Did it every occur to you that perhaps this devil is tricking you?"

"I was able to remember him because he's a vital part of me," she said as she unconsciously clutched the life clock, "Chrono's my life." I swallowed. In truth it was the reverse. My guilty conscious for making a contract with her burned as she said this and I almost wanted to take back that moment four years ago. Almost. I heard Satella sigh and watched as her jewel giant shattered.

"Very well, I will tell you what I know. You are wondering what is making this happen, yes?"

"Yes," I said, stepping forward so Rosette and I stood side by side.

"_If_ it is true that Chrono has been removed from everyone's memories than the best reason I can come up with is that an exorcist somewhere has sealed him," she told us.

"Huh?" Rosette said. Satella rolled her eyes.

"He's being exorcised by a process called sealing. It is a slow exorcism that removes the devil from its existence. Often times, people effected by the devil forget ever meeting it and then, as time continues, the devil disappears altogether. They become less visible and caporal until the point that they are simply nothing more than air," Satella clarified. Rosette and I exchanged matching looks of horror.

"And how long does this… exorcism take?" Rosette asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"I don't know. Anywhere from one day to three months. It depends on the type of devil and who the exorcist is," she said with a shrug.

"But why? Why would someone target Chrono?! He's done nothing to anyone!" Rosette cried in frustration and anger.

"Sometimes exorcists get special requests and other times they simply are bored. Just the fact that he exists is reason enough for an exorcist to seal him," Satella sneered.

"Don't say that! You have no right! Chrono is kinder than most humans I know! You have no right to treat him that way!" Rosette screamed as she stomped towards Satella. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back a step.

"Rosette, calm down. Don't worry about it, okay?" I mumbled. Rosette turned to me, her eyes dancing with rage. As she met my eyes, her gaze softened to a look of sadness and she let out a sigh.

"Okay," she whispered.

"There may be a way to save him," Satella spoke up. Rosette whirled around and stared at her in astonishment.

"And you didn't bring this up before because…?!" Rosette exploded.

"Because I don't trust devils. But, he doesn't seem to be to deadly, especially since it appears you have him on a leash," Satella replied with a huff.

"Why you-!" Rosette hollered.

"Rosette," I warned. She shut her mouth and let out an angry breath.

"The only way to save him is to find the exorcist and stop the sealing process," Satella explain. Rosette gawked at her.

"But that's impossible! Do you know how many exorcists there are in the world? Hell, do you know how many we have just here in Brooklyn alone?!" Rosette cried, practically pulling out her hair.

"Exactly. I suggest you search Brooklyn for this exorcist. It's likely someone nearby," Satella advised before she turned on her heel and began to strut away, "I've said enough."

"Wait! Satella!" Rosette yelled. The jewel witch stopped but didn't turn.

"Thank you," Rosette called. Satella stayed frozen for a moment, as if taking in Rosette's words. It was strange that for Rosette to thank Satella, someone she so strongly disliked.

"Good luck," Satella replied over her shoulder as she continued to walk away a moment later. Rosette turned to me, the flame back in her eyes. Only this time the flame wasn't one of anger, it was one of determination.

"We can do this," she declared as she clenched her fists. I smiled.

"Right. We have a cause and we have someone to look for. We've got a good start," I said with a grin.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's track down that exorcist and give them a piece of our minds!" she exclaimed as she turned back to the car. I smiled at her. I was so thankful I had her. Without her I'm sure I'd have lost myself years ago in that tomb. I probably would've never lived again. She was the reason I was still alive, not just because of our contract, but because she was my reason for living. She made my life worth living for.

"Rosette?"

"Hm?" She tilted her head over her shoulder and met my eyes.

"Thank you," I said softly. She beamed at me.

"Anything for you, Chrono," she replied before heading back to the car. I headed back to the passenger seat finally being able to see the brighter side of this situation. There was hope yet, and Rosette was helping me to see that. We weren't beaten yet.

"So, how exactly do we find this exorcist?" I asked.

"I'm sure they've got advertisements somewhere. We'll pick some up and just stop by as many as we can find. We'll bump into someone eventually," she said as she started the car, "But first, I need food! I'm starving!" She pulled us out of park and sped along the street until she found a small grocer. She pulled up in front of it and parked. It was a small store, one that probably held no more than three shelves of groceries.

"Do you have any money?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course, though its not a lot. We should be able to buy something though." And with that we charged into the store to buy as much food as we could. Who knew how long it would take to get back into the convent? We'd need to stash up as much food as we could get. We came out a few minutes later with bags of simple foods and plenty of water for us to share. We put them in the back seat and Rosette quickly opened the box of saltine crackers. She ate a whole bag of them before closing the box and tossing it back into the back seat.

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked. I shook my head.

"I'm fine. We need to save as much food as possible and I don't need to eat that much."

"Okay, but if you get even a little hungry you're eating something!" she ordered as she unfolded a list we'd gotten inside the store. It'd been hanging on the community board and consisted of several local exorcists in the area. Apparently they were all pretty good friends and decided to provide a list so that those in need of their services would be able to locate them better. It really was convenient... However, the list held at least twenty names and locations on it.

"Should we just go down the street and stop at these places as we pass them?" Rosette asked, examining the names.

"Sounds like a good plan," I agreed. She nodded and handed the list to me.

"Anything ring a bell? Even a little? Any clue as to who would've done this?" I looked over the names and addresses but none of them meant anything to me.

"No. The only name I can think of isn't human and he'd likely deal with me in a different way," I answered. Rosette's face was grim and I knew she understood whom I was talking about.

"You never know. He could be behind this. Maybe he's out there right now enjoying the sight of us franticly running around," she muttered as she started up the car.

"I don't think he'd do that."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Watched us as we suffered. That'd be just like Aion," I heard her mumble as she pulled us back onto the street. There was a pause as Rosette's words hung in the air.

"So where am I going?" she asked, her voice a little to rushed.

"South 7604, fifth street," I read the first address on the paper. Rosette nodded thoughtfully.

"We're on our way, Chrono. This will all be fixed by tomorrow," she said as she turned a corner at a hazardous speed.

"Right," I responded. But I really didn't believe it. Even though I'd been so positive a while ago and even though we had the list, something in my stomach kept telling me that we didn't have a chance. Something in my gut kept telling me there was no way this was going to be solved anytime soon. And even though Rosette's apparent optimism was flooding the car, I didn't feel it. I only felt the condescending weight of time. Satella had said that there was no telling how long it would take for the seal to be completed. I glanced over at Rosette. Was this how she felt all the time? Crushed by the weight of time and never knowing when it would stop? When your time would run out? It was a suffocating feeling that was almost impossible to cope with. If anything it made me want to feel even more doubtful; it made me want to give up all the hope I had. So how did Rosette always stay so happy and positive? How was she able to smile and worry about others the way she always did? I couldn't help but feel awed by her strength. She was amazing, even more so that I had thought before. She was a truly amazing and inspiring girl. I wasn't so sure I was worthy of being her contractor, let alone her friend. The car lurched around another corner and I practically fell through the front window. I smirked as I sat back in my seat. Yup, Rosette really was something else.

We spent the whole day zipping through Brooklyn. We'd check off the exorcists as we visited them and the list was slowly getting shorter. Rosette asked the same question at every stop:

"Do you do devil sealing?"

No one said yes. Our search had given us absolutely no information and we were both starting to get agitated and worn-out, Rosette more so than myself.

"I'm getting really tired of this!" Rosette grumbled as we drove to our next destination around dinnertime. She had finished off the box of saltines and was beginning on the potato chips. I looked down at our list. Our next exorcist was number eighteen, a Amy Johnson.

"Maybe they're holding out on us! Maybe they don't want us to know what they're up to so they're lying to us!" Rosette speculated.

"I doubt it. They probably think we're paying customers. Or perhaps that you're looking for a teacher, because you're wearing your uniform."

"You think that's why they aren't giving us the answers we need? Because I'm from the order?"

"No, I don't think they'd care as long as you had a job for them."

"So then what's the big deal?!" she yelled as we jerked around a corner. I let out a cry as I clung to the dashboard. We smoothed out again and I gave her a sheepish grin.

"We just haven't found the right person yet," I said in an attempt to calm her down. Rosette gave a 'hmph' as she stared at the houses that passed. Her eyes stopped on a particular address that she parallel parked in front of. It was a red, Victorian style house with a wrap-around front porch and large windows. The lawn was almost perfectly taken care of, the only exceptions were its length and the few dandelions that popped up here and there.

"Number eighteen," she announced as she turned off the car. We both sat staring at it for a moment.

"Let's get a wiggle on," I sighed as we got out of the car. The two of us walked up the sidewalk to the front door. Rosette reached out and rang the doorbell. We waited a few moments, Rosette tapping her foot the whole time, but there was no reply. Irritably, she reached out and gave the doorbell buzzer another fierce press. After there was still no reply, Rosette began to press the button repeatedly without stopping. Her face was aflame with annoyance as she mercilessly pounded on the button.

"Rosette, stop it! She's probably not home," I told her as I grabbed her arm and pulled it away from the buzzer, "we were bound to run into someone who wasn't home eventually."

"Baloney! She's just hiding from us!" she roared, trying to brake free from my grip.

"Seriously, Rosette! Give it a rest, will you? She's not-" the door creaked open, "here?" Rosette anxiously crept forward, waiting for a reply from just inside. However, no one greeted us. Rosette and I exchanged looks before she cautiously stepped closer to the door.

"Hello?" she called as she pushed the door open all the way. The hall beyond was open and spacious, with a fireplace across from us and an archway to our left and right.

"Something's not right," Rosette whispered to me over her shoulder.

"We should check it out," I replied just as quietly. She removed her gun from its holster and held it in front of her, ready to shoot at any surprise attackers. Slowly, she tip toed inside and I followed closely behind her. My eyes darted in every direction, searching for a clue as to why the place felt so full of darkness.

"Left or right?" Rosette asked in a hushed voice.

"I'd go with right," I replied, trying to sense the direction the evil vibes were coming from. It was definitely stronger to our right. She followed my request and we snuck into the next room. It was a large salon, with an extravagant couch and an ornate rug decorated with many flowers.

"Take a left," I told her. She followed my instructions, pushing a swing door aside and stepping into the room beyond.

"I think I found Amy," she moaned as she stepped farther inside the room. I followed her in and took in the gruesome scene. A pentacle had been drawn on the floor in red blood, a burnt out candle at each point. At the center was a young girl, her long dark curls twisting around her head and coated with crimson. Her hazel eyes were wide open and staring at us, fear and surprised frozen in them from her death.

"What does this mean?" Rosette whispered, her voice cracking.

"I don't know," I answered, "But I think she might have been the one we've been looking for." I couldn't take my eyes of the morbid sacrifice that lied in front of me.

"But why? Why kill her?" Rosette asked, her voice rising.

"So she wouldn't be able to tell anyone or undo the seal." Whoever had asked for the sealing had come back to kill the sealer. Most likely because they'd heard we were looking for them. So they'd killed the exorcist and taken the seal to keep in safe.

"Its all my fault," I muttered as I looked away; down at the floor. An innocent person had been killed because of me. A girl who I didn't even know had died just because I existed. I vaguely heard Rosette move beside me. I heard the cranking of a phone dial twisting three times.

"Yes, hello? This is urgent. There's been a death at 329 Main Street. Please hurry," I heard her say into the phone before there was a clang of metal against metal; the phone being placed back on its hanger. I felt Rosette put an arm around my shoulders.

"We've done all we can," she said softly, "We should go." I nodded and together we left the house.

"Where do we go now?" I asked once we'd gotten back in the car, "We're at square one again. What do we do?"

"I… I don't know. Our only lead is gone. What _can_ we do?" she responded.

We sat there in silence, trying to find answers that wouldn't come. It was clear that Amy was the one who'd done the sealing, but now it was gone and so was she. Who else could we turn to? Where could we go? As far as I could tell there was no way out of this one.

"We can't give up. We'll find Satella again. Maybe she's heard something from other bounty hunters," Rosette said as she started the car. I glanced at her, surprised to find her face set with determination.

"We're going to get that seal back, Chrono. I promise," she told me quietly. I couldn't help but smile as I was reminded of just how stubborn Rosette was. Rosette never gets discouraged.

A few hours later we were back in downtown Brooklyn. To my surprise, Rosette seemed to know exactly where to go.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said. I stared at her.

"Then where are we driving to?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you 'don't know'?"

"I'm just following my gut. Maybe it'll lead us somewhere helpful." I gaped at her. Then again, it was a better plan than any I had, I realized as I sat back into my seat. The car suddenly came to a jerking halt and I flew forward, smacking my face against the window.

"What-?!"

"We're here!" Rosette proclaimed cheerfully, waving her hand in the direction of her window. Just outside was a small park with lots of trees and a small, rusting playground.

"You can't park in the middle of the road!" I frantically reminded her.

"Oh, right. Um... There's a parking lot right there," she mumbled as she began to pull forward again. She slid into the parking lot and parked as close to the road as she could. We stepped out of the car and I almost stumbled backwards from the impact.

"I sense miasma," I said. Rosette glanced at me in a panic. I grinned at her.

"Good going trusting your gut," I told her.

"So where is it coming from?" she asked.

"The park." As soon as I said the words she took off. I followed closely behind her. Cautiously we approached the playground, scanning for an incoming threat.

"So where's the devil?" Rosette asked, her stance becoming less defensive. I glanced around the park, unable to pinpoint exactly where the foreboding feeling was coming from.

"Sister! Sister!" I heard a little voice call. I turned to see a young boy, about five years old, running towards us from the playground.

"What is it? Are you lost?" Rosette asked kindly. The little boy stopped in front of her and smiled up at her.

"No. I came to get you," he replied as he grabbed her by the wrist. I grabbed the child's arm and tried to pull it off Rosette's arm. The little boy turned to me, his eyes glowing an eerie red. His grin displayed vicious fangs.

"Another devil?" the boy hissed, his voice dropping to a low and deadly tone.

"A mind eater," Rosette gasped. The boy released Rosette's arm and jumped backwards as a large, gleaming sword made of blue jewel seemed to drop from the sky.

"Honestly, you two are useless," a snide, German voice said. Rosette and I turned to face our new visitor.

"Satella!" Rosette cried, her voice a mixture of relief and displeasure.

"You have a gun, don't you Sister? Why don't you use it once in a while," Satella remarked with a flip of her hair. Rosette's face turned angry and agitated.

"Why you-! I didn't want to kill the child that the mind eater had taken over! I'm not a murderer," she mumbled. Satella's jewel giant swung its sword in the direction of the little boy who sat cowering behind the playground slide. His eyes were wide with fright, just like any young child's would be. It was so hard to tell that he was a devil who would kill you without any warning.

"That thing has already stolen away the child who once lived within that body," Satella said, her voice cold, harsh, and honest. Rosette's mouth thinned into a barely visible line as she took in Satella's words.

"She's right, Rosette. The boy is long gone. It's nothing but a monster now," I agreed.

"Of course the moral-less devil would understand. There is nothing left you can do for the child," she reiterated before raising her arm. The giant warrior mimicked her move, and both of their arms came down at the same time. The blue giant's sword sliced through both the slide and the mind eater, but it was only the mind eater who took any damage. I watched as the seemingly innocent little boy crumpled into a pile of dust that wafted away with the breeze. Satella's warrior vanished as she turned to us, one hand on her hip.

"What are you doing back here? I thought you went to go find an exorcist," she asked as she approached us.

"We did," Rosette mumbled.

"Then why are you back?"

"We found the exorcist," Rosette said, her eyes downcast.

"That's good news, isn't it? Ah! But I'm afraid I still don't remember your little pet."

"We found the exorcist but… we found her to late," I clarified. Satella's face turned clouded and she dropped her superior pose.

"Oh," she replied quietly. She was watching Rosette carefully with a hint of pity on her face.

"We came here hoping to run into you, actually. We were wondering if there was any other information you could tell us," Rosette said, popping up suddenly, determination in her eyes. Satella seemed a little taken aback by Rosette's sudden attitude change, but she quickly recovered and returned to her normal snotty behavior.

"Why would I have withheld information from you?" she asked snidely.

"Because you don't really care if Chrono dies or not, that's why!" Rosette accused.

"He's a devil! Why should I care if a mangy beast like him dies? Its one less monster for me to take care of later," Satella replied, her voice edging on shouting.

"I care! What aren't you telling us?" Rosette demanded as she forcefully grabbed Satella's arm.

"Rosette, relax," I told her, catching her elbow. She pulled her arm free but didn't grab at Satella again. Instead she stood tall and firm, her eyes glaring at the jewel witch that stood before us. Satella let out a huff and looked away as she crossed her arms.

"A client came to me asking if I did devil sealing," she told us begrudgingly. Rosette practically lurched at her.

"And what's the name of this client?" she cried. Satella glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Her expression was cold and serious.

"I don't know her name, but I know she was not human," she murmured in a dangerous tone.

"What do you mean she wasn't human?" I asked as alarms began to ring in my head.

"She was a devil, I'm sure of it. Her aura was definitely dark. The girl had large, round glasses and short brown hair. She was petite, but very annoying," she explained. My eyes widened in shock and I turned to Rosette, her face angry as she understood.

"Shader," I mumbled. Rosette nodded. So Aion was behind this after all. Maybe not directly, but one of the sinners was for sure the reason Amy was dead and the reason I was sealed.

"So if we find Shader we'll find the seal," Rosette clarified.

"Yes, but how do we find her?" I asked. Rosette stared into the distance, thinking, then suddenly turned to Satella with a huge grin on her face. Satella backed away warily.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded.

"You know how to summon devils, right? Or, at the very least, locate them," Rosette explained. Satella's eyes grew then shrunk to an even glare.

"And why would I help you? I've already helped you plenty!" she retorted.

"And we're grateful. Come on, Rosette. We can go find someone else," I murmured as I grabbed her by the arm and tried to drag her away. She pulled her arm free and stood solid, refusing to move.

"No!" she said, her voice strong, "Satella owes you, Chrono. She doesn't remember all you've done for her and now she's acting like a pill!"

"What was that?! You're one to talk, Magdalan! I've done enough for you already," Satella shot back. Rosette's glare turned even more intense.

"Calm down!" I cried, reaching out to grab Rosette's shoulder. But my hand didn't land on her shoulder; instead it slipped right through her back as though she were nothing but air. Or, perhaps… I was the one who was nothing but air… I stared down at the hand that I had attempted to touch Rosette with. It was shimmering lightly and I could just make out the grass on the other side of it. The sealing was beginning to take effect on my body.

"Chrono? What's wrong?" Rosette called, her head turning over her shoulder to look at me. Her mouth was set in a worried line as she watched me. I straightened up and gave her a cheerful smile.

"Nothing! I'm fine," I replied. If I stayed in the shadows it should be harder for her to tell. I didn't want her to worry about me if there was nothing we could do. It would be near impossible to summon Shader; she wasn't just an ordinary devil. Rosette knew that. So why make her panic over the inevitable? Besides, things were better this way. If I disappeared then Rosette would be able to live.

"Something is wrong. What is it?" she asked as she turned and approached me. I took a reflexive step backwards and brought my hands up with a half-hearted grin.

"I'm okay, really!"

"Baloney!" Rosette tried to grab my wrist but her hand closed on air. She stared into my face, her eyes wide and panicked. I let my fake smile disappear as I met her eyes. I lowered my arms as she unclenched her fist and reached for my face. Her hand passed right through my cheek; I didn't even feel it.

"What's happening?" she whispered, her voice cracking as she pulled her hand back to her side.

"He's starting to vanish," Satella explained as she watched us.

"Please, Satella. You have to help him," she begged as she turned to face the jewel witch. Satella seemed a little taken aback by Rosette's desperate plea. Her eyes flitted from me to Rosette then back again. Her eyes seemed to harden when they landed on me the second time, but then they flew back to Rosette and her cold eyes softened. She gave a loud sigh and brought her hand to her head as if we were giving her a headache.

"I can't believe I'm doing this for you," she muttered, "All right. I'll help you summon this devil Shader." Rosette turned to me, a small smile on her lips.

"You'll be okay," she told me. I desperately wanted to agree with her and to believe that she was right, but I couldn't bring my mind to think that way. I managed a nod in reply, which seemed to be enough for Rosette.

"Come on you two. We can ride in my car back to my house," Satella called as she headed to the street. A butler hopped out of the driver's seat of a nearby car parked along the road. He opened the door for Satella with a slight bow. Rosette and I followed closely behind her.

"So this is where you live?" Rosette practically screeched as we pulled up in front of a luxurious mansion. It was three stories tall with large windows and a large front porch that stretched around the house.

"Some of us have enough money to buy our own house," Satella said with a flip of her hair and a mischievous grin.

"Why I oughta-" Rosette muttered as she balled up her fists.

"Rosette," I warned. Just then, Satella's butler opened the front door and Satella headed inside. Rosette reluctantly followed and I went in after her. The inside of Satella's home was not unlike a castle. The only difference was it was more modern. The floors were all glimmeringly polished wood and the walls were an intricate wallpaper. Even Rosette had a hard time containing her awe as we were lead up a large spiral staircase below to an open foyer.

"I've got to admit, this is a nice place," Rosette mumbled. Satella lead us to a room at the end of the hall. It was a large room but it was very dim. The widows had the shutters pulled shut and there were only a few candles that lit the room.

"This is were I do my devil summoning. I don't use it often since I really have no need. I only use it for the particularly tricky devils that I wouldn't be able to catch any other way," Satella explained. I had an uneasy feeling about this. Devil summoning was not something to be taken lightly. No good ever came from messing with magic; especially magic that manifested a devil in the middle of your home. I'm not being hypocritical either, just truthful. I glanced at Rosette who I'm sure was thinking similar thoughts. It was hard to make out her face in the darkness, but the reflection in her eyes looked careful and wary.

"So what do we do?" she asked quietly.

"_You_ don't do anything. _I_ will summon the devil. What did you say the devil's name was? Shader?" Satella asked.

"Yes," I answered softly. We watched in silence as Satella closed her eyes.

"I call upon the shadows to bring forth the devil known as Shader. Komm zu mir!" she yelled, causing both Rosette and I to jump. A bright red light radiated from the floor creating a symbol that represented a pentagram surrounded by a circle. It had likely been there before Satella had begun chanting and now her words caused it to activate. The light brightened and expanded, illuminating the whole room. I covered my eyes as it let off a blinding flash of white light. It was dark again and there was a deafening silence echoing around the room. I uncovered my eyes and held my breath in anticipation.

"What? What?" a shrill voice cried in alarm. Shader stood at the heart of the still glowing pentagram, her head spinning around in confusion, her cat ears twitching as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"It worked?" Rosette breathed.

"Of course it did! What do you take me for? I'm not some armature!" Satella scoffed. Shader's eyes found mine in the darkness and her eyes widened.

"Chrono?!" she shrieked. I opened my mouth to make a reply but Rosette cut me off. Her arm flew out in front of me as if to restrain me from moving or saying anything. It didn't really matter of course, since I could have walked right through her. I watched as she walked forward until she was right at the edge of the glowing barrier between Shader and us.

"What do you know about Amy Johnson?" Rosette asked quietly but forcefully. Shader smiled and came as close to the glowing outline as she dared.

"You mean that troublesome exorcist girl? I know she's dead. I killed her. It was so much fun too! Oh, yes," Shader answered with a cheerful smile and a clap of her hands. I shuddered. How had I once considered myself one of them?

"Why would you…" Rosette's voice faded as though she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. Shader, however, was all too happy to offer her the details.

"Because she had served her purpose. She used her talents and Aion had no use for her anymore. She was a liability. We knew you would come looking for her and of course she'd help another human. So when she summoned me saying that she had finished her job I decided to take what I needed and dispose of the liability," Shader explained matter-of-factly. Her reasoning caused the room to be filled with a tense silence that caused her words to sink even deeper into my head. It really had been my fault. They used Amy and then disposed of her like she was nothing more than a used up rag. My eyes narrowed and I met Shader's through the eerie red glow of the pentagram.

"And her job was?" I asked with a tone of venom. Shader's smile grew even wider.

"You should be able to figure that one out on your own," she replied evenly.

"The seal," Satella gave voice to what we were all thinking.

"Where is it? Where is the seal?!" Rosette demanded.

"Sorry, kitten. I'm not giving you answers that easily," she said with a wink and a swish of her tail. I saw Rosette's fist clench and I stepped up beside her, trying to let her know that I was here, that I would always help her. I reached over and tried to grab her fisted hand but my fingers only passed through her. My chest constricted as I realized I couldn't be of any comfort. Why was it always like this? No matter how much those around me were hurting there was never anything I could do to help them. I only know how to hurt others.

"You will give me answers," Rosette ordered, her voice no-nonsense and solid. I heard a snap and a click. Rosette had unholstered her gun and was pointing it at Shader.

"This barrier only protects _us_ from _you_. It doesn't work the other way around," she made unavoidably clear. Shader twitched slightly, her cheerful expression turning to one of fear. An unsure smile came to her lips as she spoke.

"But if you kill me you won't get your answers, now will you?" she said, her voice persuasive.

"Who said anything about killing you? There are better ways to get information," Rosette replied coldly.

"Rosette!" Satella exclaimed in surprise, "What are you saying?! It may be a devil, but…"

"Satella's right, Rosette. This isn't like you. Calm down, okay? There's no need to hurt anyone," I told her as reassuringly as I could. I couldn't touch people, but maybe… I slowly reached out for Rosette's gun and closed my fingers around the barrel. Rosette turned to me, her face emotionless except for the glimmer of surprise in her eyes.

"Let go of the gun, Rosette. There's no need to hurt anyone. We'll get the answers another way," I told her softly and gave the gun a small tug. Rosette's fingers reflexively tightened their grip then the fell limp and the gun slipped easily away from her hand. She looked down, perhaps to compose herself or maybe to hide her shame.

"Thank you," I whispered with a sigh, hoping to make her feel less upset about it. I carefully set the gun on the ground a safe distance away from the edge of the pentagram and stood up straight. My eyes met Shader's once again. She stood at the center of the pentagram, her body relaxed and her arms folded over her chest.

"My, aren't you two a strange pair," she mused as she looked at me.

"Alright Shader, I've done you a favor now return the deed. Where is the seal?" I asked in a flat tone.

"Oh please, that doesn't count as a favor. She wouldn't have done it anyway. Now if you got me out of here, that might be a different story…"

"Like we'd let you go that easily. If we let you out we won't get anything out of you!" Satella retorted. Shader's tail twitched but she didn't reply; she simply looked away with a smug smile.

"Shader-" I began but was interrupted by a sudden screeching. It was high pitched and loud. I winced and covered my ears as the screeching was joined by a sudden burst of light. The noise stopped and so did the light.

"Looks like your times up! Well, it was nice talking to you," Shader called as she dashed out of the room.

"What?! How did she escape?!" Satella hollered, chasing after the cat devil. I heard a snap behind me and turned to see Rosette loading her gun with a fresh magazine.

"You should've let me at her when we had the chance," she muttered as she hurried after the other two. I watched her go. I wanted to go with them, but in my current state I wouldn't be of any help at all. I looked down at the pentagram on the floor. In the hustle and bustle the door had flown open enough to illuminate most of the room. The image of the encircled pentagram was traced onto the floor in what appeared to be red wax. The wax, along with the floor beneath it, were cracked in long jagged lines that all met in the center of the circle. Shader must have used some device to disturb the summoning circle. Cautiously, I crept closer to the ruined symbol. Along the outside were phrases written in, what I assumed to be, alternating German and Latin. Unfortunately, they were all too cracked to read. As I got closer to where Shader had been standing I noticed a strange bulge from the floor. I knelt at the center of the circle and tried to pick up the object. My fingers slipped right off of it. It appeared to be rounded and was smooth and slick, making it impossible to pull out of the wooden beams it'd been jammed into. This must have been what Shader had used to escape, but how did it work? A shadow stepped into the doorframe, blocking the light I had been using to investigate.

"What did you find?" someone asked behind me. Her breath was ragged as she gasped in air.

"Shader's method of escape," I answered my partner without looking up, "What happened to Shader?"

"Satella and I lost her in the woods. Satella's still out there looking, but I didn't want to leave you alone for too long. Besides, Shader's probably long gone by now anyway," Rosette explained with a sigh as she came and knelt beside me. She reached out and tapped the top of the domed object with her finger.

"How's it work?" she asked.

"I'm not sure… If only we could pry it out of the floor. Then I could get a better look at it," I said. Rosette placed her gloved hand on the half sphere and began to pull. Even with her leather gloves there was hardly any traction. With an annoyed grunt she pulled her gloves off with her teeth and then tried again with her bare fingers.

"Rosette, I've already…" the spherical object gave a sudden shriek and a flash of white light. I jammed my eyes shut and waited for the unexpected reaction to calm down. Once there was only darkness beyond my eyelids, I opened my eyes.

"What just happened?" Rosette murmured as we took in the scene around us. We were no longer in Satella's glorious mansion. We had abruptly ended up in a forest near an open lake. My heart began to race as I puzzled together where I had seen this place before. The finally piece fell into place when I spun around and was confronted by the mouth of a cave.

"Rosette… We're…" I was unable to form sentences in my shocked state.

"The tomb… We're at Seventh Bell…" she murmured, finishing what I had been struggling to say.

"But how? How did we end up here?" she asked, spinning around to burn the long absent setting into her mind. We hadn't been to the lake in years. Not since we'd gone to the order and left Seventh Bell behind us. Not since we'd accepted our task of finding Aion and Joshua.

"That device Shader used. It must have been implanted with a teleportation chip," I told her as I mulled over the scenario.

"But why send us here? Why send us anywhere at all?"

"I don't know," I replied with a shrug.

"What do we do? We can't exactly call a cab. I mean, we're in _Michigan_! How do we get back?" Rosette's questions were endless. I rolled my eyes at her half-heartedly and she happened to catch the movement.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" she asked with an angry edged tone.

"No, of course not," I humbly replied.

"Chrono!" she cried as she lunged at me.

"Rosette! Don't-" But gravity had already caused her to fall flat on her face as she slipped right through me.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I knelt beside her. She sat up with a sheepish smile.

"Yah. Sorry. You just don't seem…" she trailed off, not knowing how to finish.

"You don't need to apologize," I said with a smile. Rosette returned it with a smaller smile of her own. Then her eyes darted slightly upward. I followed her gaze and watched as a butterfly danced just above our heads.

"Do you remember when we were little and we'd just lay here and find shapes in the clouds?" she asked quietly. I looked down at her, watching as she readjusted so she was lying on her back and staring up at the sky.

"Yes," I answered just as quietly. I followed her lead and laid on the soft green grass and watched as clouds drifted by above us. They changed shape as they flew by.

"I've forgotten what peace was like," Rosette admitted with a little laugh.

"It kind of makes you never want to go back," I agreed. There was a pause during which I heard Rosette shift beside me.

"When all this is over wouldn't it be nice to just find a little house in the country and do nothing but relax?" she asked.

"That would be Jake," I said, smiling as I envisioned it.

"There could be a little porch with a swing on it. And every night we could watch the sun set. Wouldn't that be nice? Just sitting there and actually watching the sun set for once," she said, voicing her thoughts, "Time goes way to fast. We're always so busy that before we know it the sun is gone. It's been ages since I've actually taken the time to notice the sun going down." I knew what she meant. Everything happened so fast that it all seemed to blur together. There really wasn't a definite end to a day or a start to a new one. We were busy all the time and hardly noticed the changing of day until it was too dark to continue going. I turned to her and found her playing with a blade of grass between us.

"When this is all over, we'll find that house in the country," I told her. She glanced up from the grass and met my eyes, excitement plain on her face.

"Really?! You promise?" she asked. I nodded.

"Yah. I think it sounds like a great idea," I assured her as I turned back to the sky just in time to catch a large bird fly across the sky above us. I lunched myself into an upright position and Rosette followed my lead.

"Is that…?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know, but if you ask me the timing is to perfect to be just an ordinary bird," I replied through clenched teeth. In the same instant, we were both on our feet and running in the direction the eagle was flying in. The direction of the home Rosette had left four years ago, the place where our lives had been changed. The destroyed, empty, and frozen Seventh Bell Orphanage.

A few painstaking moments later, Rosette and I burst through the doors of the protective dome that surrounded Seventh Bell. The doors had already been opened and the eagle had flown through. The lights were on and the moment we set foot inside the dome the doors slammed shut behind us. We remained unphased and continued to hurry after the eagle that was obviously, and unfortunately, leading us straight to the orphanage. We passed through the fence that surrounded the now shattered building and the frozen children and paused. The bird flew into the large gap in the wall where a few years ago Joshua had burst out of. My teeth were clenched so tightly together that my jaw was actually aching. I could sense his aura, his demonic miasma, his evil presence.

"Aion's here," I informed Rosette in an urgent whisper. Her eyes hardened into an angry glare.

"He's probably got the seal with him. That's why Shader left that transporter, to lead us to Aion. She's expecting him to kill us," Rosette thought aloud.

"We're really not in any condition to fight him, Rosette," I told her quietly.

"Hooey!* We can take him!" Rosette said as she marched towards the ruined orphanage.

"Rosette!" I called as I raced after her. She stepped through the hole in the wall and I followed in right after her.

"Come out, Aion!" Rosette yelled into the empty hallway that stood before us.

"Ask and thou shall receive," came an echoing voice that was calm and always cheerful. A shudder went through my body as a figure shimmered into being at the end of the hall, a figure that had not been there seconds ago.

"I've been waiting to see you again, Magdalene," Aion replied with a smirk, "My Chrono, aren't you looking frail. You should take better care of yourself."

"Pipe down* Aion! Or I swear, I'm going to make you wish you'd never messed with my brother or Chrono!" Rosette hollered as she raised her gun and took aim at Aion's head. He raised his arms in mock defense.

"Come now, Rosette. I would've thought we'd gotten past that by now," he commented.

"Shut up! Tell me what you've done with the seal or I will shoot!" Rosette shouted, "I've got a very short amount of patience today, so give me the information and we can save our battle for another day." Aion gave a laugh that reverberated off the walls and surrounded us. It was a bone-chilling chuckle that caused you to know that nothing good was about to happen. Aion removed his left hand from his pocket, his fist clenched around a small object.

"Oh, Rosette Christopher, how little you understand. You aren't making any demands. I'm the one who has control of this situation," he told her with a sly smile. He held out the object for us to see. It was a wooden pentagram with a cross etched into the middle. The cross had a name scrawled across the horizontal beam; my name.

"The seal," I murmured.

"That's right. A seal isn't just used for sealing away devils, you know," Aion explained with a coy smile, "It also serves as a torture device." Aion gave the seal a tight squeeze. It took a moment before I felt the impact, but the moment it came it was overwhelming. I practically crumpled to the ground as I felt my body compress. It felt as though I was slowly being crushed, as if I was being squeezed together from every direction. I wasn't able to breath or move as my entire body felt like folding in on itself. I felt the constriction slowly slip away and let in a huge mouthful of air. I wheezed from where I was slumped on the floor. I opened my eyes that I hadn't even realized had closed. Rosette kneeled beside me, clearly panicked.

"That was just the low setting," I heard Aion say. His voice was muffled, as though he was speaking from another room.

"Every time he experience another wave of constriction he'll disappear a little more. I'd guess he has about five more left before he vanishes entirely," Aion explained.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want from him?" Rosette cried, turning from me to Aion.

"I don't need him. He's a burden for me, really. You, however, are an asset. I've come for you, Rosette Christopher. Come with me and together we can renew the world. Together we can make it a new, more wonderful earth than it was before!"

"I'll never go with you! Not after everything you've done to the people I care about! Not after you've destroyed everyone's lives!" Rosette hollered back. I saw Aion's eyebrows rise just before the compressing feeling started again. My breath flew out in a startled gasp. I felt like I was being squished into a new shape, as though someone were trying to mold me into a ball. I felt the difference from the last time. This time was much worse; there was more pressure that created more pain. And then the pain ebbed and I forced my eyes open. My body ached and just lifting my head took a lot off effort not to cry out in agony.

"You forget that you don't have much of a choice," Aion pointed out, "He's only got three left." Rosette glanced over at me. I could tell she was thinking, considering all her options. There really wasn't many. She couldn't release the seal because of the state I was in. There was really only two options: she went with Aion or she ran. There was no way I could make it out of this situation.

"Don't listen to him, Rosette. Just get out of here," I muttered through my tightly clenched teeth. It took so much effort to speak without letting the pained groan I'd been holding in escape.

"And leave you here to die? I don't think so," she retorted.

"We both know that even if I were able to run he'd kill me anyway. Get out of here, before he kills you too!" I demanded, meeting her eyes. I was only able to gaze at her for a second before the torture came yet again. The pain was so immense that I'm sure I screamed before all the air was sucked out of my lungs. My muscles ached and my bones felt as though they were breaking. The pressure built up around and inside me until it felt as though I was going to shatter into fragments. However, just before that sensation became a reality, I was free again. I slumped onto the floor, not even feeling the sting as my face hit the wood. My entire body hurt far t0o much to care.

"Stop! Please, stop!" I heard Rosette sob. Her voice was so quiet and muted that I could barely hear it. After taking a deep breath and biting my lip to keep from screaming, I opened my eyes slightly. The light caused pain the pain in my head to increase, but I ignored it and forced my eyes to focus on Rosette who was still kneeling beside me. She was staring down at me with wide, frightened eyes.

"Whoops, I think my hand slipped. Looks like he's only got two left now," Aion said in his sickeningly calm voice. I met Rosette's tearful eyes, trying to keep the pain from appearing too obvious on my face.

"Run," was all I managed to force out before another wave hit me. I hadn't even begun to recover from the last attack and the new one was stronger than the past few combined. This time I felt my bones shatter, cutting through my skin in my legs and ribs. The pressure had built up to the point where I was literally getting crushed now. I could hear Rosette shrieking somewhere far off. My brain began to numb in order to protect my body from suffering any more.

"One left. What will you do Rosette Christopher?" I could barely make out Aion's words.

"I'll go! I'll go with you! Just please stop. Please," I heard Rosette yell. Those words were enough to make my muddled brain snap to life. I distantly felt Rosette's hand caress my forehead as she whispered to me.

"It'll be alright. I promise," she said under her breath. I fought through the

grogginess and managed to peel my eyes open. I let out a gasp as the light caused pain to seared through my skull. I saw Rosette stand and watched as she turned away from me. I reached out and tried to grab her ankle to keep her from leaving me. My muscles screamed in protest but I ignored them as I stretched. My hand, now practically as transparent as water, slipped through her ankle. She didn't even notice as she walked away from me and towards Aion.

"Ro… sette…" I gasped.

"That's a good girl. Come, Rosette Christopher, and together we can change the world!" Aion said. Rosette stopped half way down the hall.

"Release the seal. Once you've freed Chrono I promise I'll come with you," she replied, her voice explaining that it was nonnegotiable.

"I'll let him go once you are beside me," Aion replied. Rosette turned and glanced over her shoulder at me. She caught my gaze and her face crumpled into a look of sympathy.

"It's the only way," she told me with an apologetic smile. She turned forward again took the few remaining steps to Aion's side. My stomach tied itself into a knot and my heart ached more than my body was already hurting. This wasn't possible. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't end like this. No, it _wouldn't_ end like this. I managed to find the strength to push myself up. My body strongly complained, sending extreme aches all through my body. My leg and chest screamed in agony where the bones had broken. I ignored the pain, my will stronger than the forceful pain that worked against me. After taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I pushed myself up onto my feet. I let out a cry as my broken leg throbbed. I composed myself as best I could and brought my eyes up to meet Aion's. I could feel my rage boiling through me, strong enough to keep me standing despite the pain that tried to crush me back onto the floor again.

"My, my. You still haven't learned your lesson, have you?" Aion remarked with amusement.

"Leave her alone, Aion," I said, my voice a little weaker than I'd have liked it to sound. Aion chuckled at my attempt of a threat.

"Or what, Chrono? What can you do? You aren't even corporeal enough to fight me, not to mention I still have your seal. Your seal with only one attack left before you turn into nothing more than air," Aion clarified with a smile. I gritted my teeth as I took in his words. I knew he was right, but I wasn't going to let him just take her. I wasn't going to give up on Rosette and everything we'd worked for. It may be useless, but I have to at least try. Rosette taught me that. Even when the odds are stacked against you and you can't see any way out there's always hope. There's always something you can do. Even if you know it won't work, even if you have absolutely no faith left, you can't just give up. Rosette never gave up on me and so I wasn't about to give up on her either. I glanced at Rosette, our eyes locking on each other. My mind begged her to understand what I was planning, my mind trying to send her a message so she would know what to do and how to react. Our eyes only met for a second before I turned back to Aion.

"I don't care how hopeless it seems, I won't let you take her!" I replied and, regardless of the searing throb in my entire body, I lunged forward at Aion. I watched as Aion smirked, as though he was happy to see me attack him.

"You forget I have the power here," he said and gave the seal another firm squeeze. The pain flowed through me at an alarmingly faster pace than it had before.

"Chrono!" Rosette screamed. My legs wobbled and I collapsed onto the floor, my eyes rolling back in my head as the pressure built up around me so tight that I was sure I would burst. Through everything I strained my ears as much as possible in hopes my distraction had worked. There was a loud crack from a gun firing. That was all I needed to hear. I let myself slip into the numbness my mind was casting over my body, giving in to the relief from the world of crushing pain I was in. My mind turned blank and soon I didn't feel anything. I was drifting in a peaceful and empty space. I couldn't feel the floor beneath me or hear Rosette calling my name. There was nothing but oblivion.

"Damn it, Chrono! Say something!" I heard a voice yell. With a groan I opened my eyes. I had to blink a few times to adjust to the unfamiliarity of the light that surrounded me. What had happened?

"Thank God! Chrono, are you alright?" Rosette asked with a relieved sigh. I glanced over at her and found her kneeling beside me, her gun and the seal lying on the floor beside her. That's right. Aion… Then I noticed the life clock that was lying open around her neck. I bolted upright, which caused the world to spin around me. I brought my hand to my head as I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to erase my sudden headache.

"Chrono, answer me. Are you okay?"

"Close it, I'm fine!" I replied, my voice demanding.

"But-"

"I'm fine, I promise! Just close it!" I heard a click and felt a sudden stretch and pull at my limbs. I could feel the miasma draining out of me as I reverted back to my smaller form.

"What happened?" I asked as I woke from my dazed state.

"Aion ran when I shot my gun. I grazed his arm and he dropped the seal and fled. I thought you were dead," Rosette explained, her voice getting softer as she spoke. I turned and smiled at her.

"No. He miscounted. He said it could be activated five times but he only counted off four," I told her. She let out a breath of astonishment as she let it all soak in. We stared at each other in silence, just simply allowing the past few minutes to set into our heads.

"I was so scared," Rosette whispered.

"Me too," I said with a shocked breath. We had lived. We'd both lived. I had been so afraid that we were going to die. I had been so panicked that Rosette would get taken away. Rosette looked down at the seal and gingerly picked it up off the floor.

"What do you say we take care of this thing?" Rosette asked.

"That would be Jake," I answered with a lopsided grin.

"Any idea how?"

"Not a clue."

"I guess we have to go back to Satella then," she said with a sigh. I let out a small laugh and smiled. Finally, this would all be over. Rosette had been right from the start, nothing was impossible. It only took a little faith.

"What happened to you two?" Satella asked when she'd finally shown up at the train station. Rosette and I were both tired from sneaking around and waiting for a ride. We'd had to walk quite a ways from the orphanage before we managed to find someone who was willing to give us a ride. A farmer heading into town was kind enough to give us a ride in the back of his truck with his supplies of milk he happened to be taking into Detroit. Rosette was the one who did all the asking and I stayed hidden until she finally coaxed us a ride, then she snuck me around the car and into the back. It would be impossible to explain to someone why I was practically a mirage. Once we'd gotten to town we found the train station and Rosette used one of the public phones while I hid as well as I could in the corner of the main terminal. She managed to call Satella after finding her number in a phone book. Begrudgingly, Satella agreed to come pick us up since we didn't have enough money to take a train all the way back to Brooklyn. Now she had finally arrived, almost three hours later, to find the two of us in a corner going in and out of consciousness as we tried to stay awake. Rosette jumped to her feet at Satella's arrival and, to everyone's surprise, hugged her.

"What are you doing?!" Satella cried, trying to pull free of Rosette's grip.

"We're saved!" Rosette cried.

"Get off of me!" Satella yelled, shoving Rosette in the face. Rosette's arms were ripped off of Satella and she slumped back to sitting next to me. She held up the seal in her flattened palm.

"Are you able to undo this?" Rosette asked. Satella looked down on it with an expression of thoughtfulness.

"Yes, I think I should be able to. But all the supplies are at my house," Satella replied. Rosette turned to me, her face lighting up brighter than I'd seen it in a long time.

"Did you hear that, Chrono?! You'll be back to normal in no time!" she cried. I smiled and turned to Satella.

"Thank you," I said. She seemed momentarily surprised, but quickly smothered it with a grumpy expression and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm just doing this so you two will leave me alone," she said.

Satella gave us a ride back to her house. Rosette and I slept in the back seat the whole way back to Brooklyn. The sudden stop of the car awoke me and I peered out the window. We'd made it back. I turned to Rosette who was sleeping beside me, her head resting against the window and her mouth hanging wide open as she quietly snored. I couldn't help but grin at her.

"Rosette, we're here," I said softly but loud enough to wake her.

"Mmm?" she moaned as her eyes blinked open. She let out a yawn and stretched her arms then turned to me with a cheerful smile. That was unusual, typically she was a monster when she woke up.

"Let's finish this," she said. I nodded and followed her out of the car. Satella and her butler lead us back into her house. This time, however, we did not go up to the creepy room. We went down the main hall on the bottom floor and were lead to a salon. Satella sat in a large, teal armchair to the left of a glass coffee table that stood at the center of the room. Rosette and I slumped into a light pink couch that was beside the armchair.

"So how do you undo the seal?" Rosette asked anxiously.

"Tea please, Steiner," Satella called to her butler who stood in the doorway of the room.

"Yes, mam," the butler said as he gave a bow then left the room.

"Satella, we don't have time for tea! Can't you just undo the seal?" Rosette complained.

"I can't work without tea," Satella replied snobbishly. Rosette opened her mouth to complain again but shut it when she caught the pleading look I was giving her. She slumped back onto the couch and crossed her arms with a quiet 'hmph'. After what felt like an eternity, the butler finally returned with a tray carrying three filled teacups and a steaming teapot. He set it carefully on the table and then handed each of us a cup. Satella took a dainty and long sip that caused Rosette to glare at her. After Satella finished her sip she carefully placed her cup on its saucer then on the table before turning to us.

"To remove the seal we have to burn it," Satella explained. Rosette jumped up from her seat.

"That's it?! That's what you made us wait for?!" she roared.

"Rosette…" I murmured in warning. She let out an angry groan then fell back onto the couch. Satella picked the seal off the table and stood from her seat. She crossed the room to the fireplace where she paused just before throwing it into the flames.

"It may hurt a little," she warned. I nodded for her to continue and she threw the seal into the fire.

"It is over. Weg sein!" Satella murmured into the fireplace as the seal became engulfed by the raging fire within. The flames that burned the wood of the seal flickered an eerie red; a crimson like the color of blood. As the flames ate away at the wood it felt as though I too was being set on fire. My limbs all burned as though they were being singed with flame. The more the seal disappeared the farther in the flames on my skin traveled. I soon felt as though I was standing in the fire myself with flames devouring my entire body. I squeezed my eyes shut and grinded my teeth together, waiting for it to pass. After a moment the flames suddenly vanished. The air felt cold on my burned skin. I opened my eyes again. Satella was watching me as she took another sip of her tea. Suddenly, the teacup slipped from her hands and she almost spit her tea out. The cup hit the floor and shattered, sending glass and tea everywhere.

"What is it?" I asked. Panic swelled in my chest. Had something bad happened? Had she accidentally done something wrong?

"Chrono…" she whispered, her voice tight and surprised.

"Mam? What's the matter?" her butler asked as he rushed to her side, a towel already in his hand.

"I remember…" she muttered. I turned to Rosette to see her reaction to Satella's sudden reaction. Rosette was staring at me, tears in her eyes and a joyful grin on her face.

"We did it," she cried as she launched herself at me. She wrapped her arms around me. I sat there stunned for a moment. She was touching me… I could feel her as she hugged me… Hesitantly, I hugged her back. My arms didn't pass through her. They hit her back and stayed there. In a desperation to make the moment last as long as I could, and to make sure that this wasn't just my imagination, I pulled her as close to me as possible.

"You have no idea how happy I am to be able to hold you again," she whispered and let out a relieved laugh. I smiled into her shoulder.

"That's what I was going to say," I murmured back.

We left a short while later. Rosette managed to choke out a half-hearted thank you to Satella before leaving. The order sent us a cab as well as a very sincere and desperate apology. It was dark by the time we arrived back at the Magdalene Order. The second we were out of the car Azmaria attacked us with tears and apologies. She was full out sobbing as she begged us to forgive her. I told her repeatedly that it was alright, but she didn't seem to think I was telling the truth. We left her with tears still streaming down her face as we entered Sister Kate's office. Sister Kate apologized as well, though her apology didn't seem as heart felt; it was more of a formality than anything. After a drawn out conversation on the events of the past day (days? I'd lost track… So much had happened), we were excused and told to get some rest before our next mission tomorrow. That, of course, didn't go over well with Rosette, but I managed to drag her out of the office before she caused too much trouble. We headed off to our rooms but I had a hard time leaving Rosette. The last time I'd left her I had woken up to an entirely changed world. Rosette seemed to sense my reluctance and she grabbed my hand. My heart still soared every time she touched me. It felt so wonderful to be able to know she was there; that she was real and alive. To know that I wouldn't have to worry about fading away and leaving her behind.

"It'll be alright, Chrono. Everything's fixed now," she told me with a gentle smile, "And if I forget again you have my permission to clobber me."

"I doubt it'll come to that," I said with smile. She dropped my hand.

"Good night, Chrono. I'll see you in the morning," she said as she turned to go into her room.

"Good night," I replied softly as she closed the door. I stood in the hall for a moment, my feet still too afraid to move. _Just one night_, I told myself. I just had to make it through a few hours and then we'd be together again. I forced my legs to move down the hall and into my room. It was dark and empty, a lonely place. _Just a few hours_, I repeated to myself, _just a few hours_. I laid down on my bed, to tired to even pull the covers over myself. I turned my face to the window and looked out at the moon high in the sky, at the open expanse of land behind the convent. _"Wouldn't it be nice to just find a little house in the country?"_ Rosette's words echoed in my head as I stared out at the empty space. I closed my eyes, letting her voice repeat itself in my head until I finally fell asleep. In just a few hours the sun would come up and everything would return to normal. In just a few hours I'd see her again. In just a few hours…

***Dictionary:**

-Banana oil: I doubt it

-Don't know from nothing: doesn't have any information

-Hooey: Nonsense

-Pipe down: Stop talking

28


End file.
